Supporting structrue for a cupboard or shelf system

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a supporting structure for a cupboard or shelf system, having a supporting rod ( 3 ) which is arranged between two joining elements. According to the invention, said supporting rod comprises at least one tab ( 9 ) which can be pivoted about an axis ( 1 ) parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting rod ( 3 ).

The present invention relates to a supporting structure for a cupboardor shelf system with a supporting rod positioned between two joints.

With the supporting structure under discussion, which is known, e.g.,from EP 0 787 907, a maximum of six supporting rods can beinterconnected at right angles to each other at one joint, therebyenabling the configuration of many different spacial designs of acupboard or shelf system. To this end, the supporting rods, which areusually formed by hollow profiles, can also be provided with exteriorgrooves for receiving a rectangular sheet to be used as a base, a cover,or a side panel.

A disadvantage of the known supporting structures is the absence ofsuitable structural elements for pivotable shutters or doors, whichwould also enable a cupboard closed off with doors or individualcompartments closed off with shutters to be formed in a shelf system.

Based on this technical background, the object of the present inventionis to provide a supporting structure for a cupboard or shelf system thatalso enables easy installation of shutters or doors.

To solve this technical problem, in the case of a supporting structurefor a cupboard or shelf system with a supporting rod positioned betweentwo joints according to Claim 1, the objective is for the supporting rodto include at least one tab capable of being pivoted around an axisparallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting rod, it beingpossible to attach a shutter or doors to the tab such that they arepivotable relative to the supporting rod.

For small shutters, it may be sufficient to provide a single tab with acorrespondingly wide configuration. Preferably, however, two tabs areregularly provided, and even more if large doors or shutters are usedand they must be capable of holding the weight of relatively large doorsor shutters.

In a preferred structural embodiment, it is provided that a hinge withthe tab connects two supporting rod sections. As a result of thismeasure, supporting rod sections already present in a modular system ofthe supporting structure according to the present invention can beutilized. This eliminates the need for specially-designed supportingrods with at least one pivotable tab and allows the modular system to bekept very universal overall with relatively few components.

In a further structural embodiment it is provided that the hinge has anaxial, central threaded hole, thereby enabling the supporting rodsections to be connected, e.g., using screws.

In a further embodiment, it is provided that the hinge has a centralbody on which a pivotable sleeve is mounted, to which the tab isconnected. A hinge with bearing capacity is therefore realized in asimple manner, it being possible to achieve axial guidance of the sleeveby the fact that the sleeve is inserted flush in a groove in the centralbody. In addition to this axial enclosure, the sleeve is also preferablydesigned to be radially flush with and encompass the central body, andtherefore does not project radially.

If the geometry of the outer jacket of the central body with theinserted sleeve corresponds to that of the supporting rod or thesupporting rod sections, the hinge is barely noticeable in thesupporting rod, in particular between the supporting rod sections. Thisis the case in particular when the tab is located behind a shutter or adoor, as viewed from the outside. To this end, the tab is advantageouslydisplaced on the sleeve relative to the axis by a distance equal to thethickness of a sleeve or shutter.

In a further embodiment it is provided that the central body tapers inthe axial direction at both ends in the shape of a truncated cone. Withreceptacles for the supporting rod sections configured accordingly onthe front side, self-centering takes place during assembly, and a largesupporting surface is provided for good force transfer via the hingebetween the support rod sections.

Advantageously, the central body has a two-component configuration, afirst subpiece including an axially extending, central inner thread, anda second subpiece engaging with a plug-like, externally threadedprojection in the central inner thread of the first subpiece. As aresult of this two-component configuration, the two components can beconnected individually with supporting rod sections, and a supportingrod can be created by subsequently screwing the two sub-pieces together.The hinge securely connects two supporting rod sections.

If the supporting rod sections are formed by hollow profiles, the hingecan be advantageously connected with them using two dowel rods insertedin the supporting rod sections. A connection of this type that can berepeatedly disconnected is usually sufficient.

According, it can be provided that the joint is also created using asimilar dowel rod, in particular, on a supporting rod section. To thisend, the outer dimensions of the central body and the sleeve of thehinge advantageously correspond to those of a joint. It is thereforealso preferrable for the joint to taper in the axial direction at bothends in the shape of a truncated cone, and for a central, cylindricalsection to include a sleeve that has been slid onto it.

To connect a supporting rod to the cylindrical section of the joint, itcan also be provided that a shaped part which creates a form-fittransition is located between the joint and the supporting bar. Inaddition to creating an attractive appearance, this also enablesrelatively strong forces to be directed along the supporting rod andsupporting rod sections into the joints.

A dowel rod is also preferred for connecting the supporting rod sectionsto the hinge and to the joints, with which two segments—which haverectangular cross-sections and are moveable toward each other—areprovided with opposing wedge-shaped surfaces and can be tightenedagainst each other using a screw. The wedge-shaped end of each segmentresults in an enlarged cross-section across the segments. The wedgeeffect makes it possible for the segments to apply strong contactpressure against the inner wall of the hollow profile, thereby making itnearly impossible to pull the dowel rod out of the supporting rodsection formed by a hollow profile, or out of the supporting rod.

The present invention is described in greater detail herein below withreference to the drawing, in which exemplary embodiments are depictedschematically. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 Shows an outer view of a joint with supporting rod section andhinge,

FIG. 2 Shows an axial longitudinal section through the hinge,

FIG. 3 Shows a radial longitudinal sectional view along the line III,III in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 Shows a front view of the area indicated by arrow IV in FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 Shows an axial longitudinal section through a joint,

FIG. 6 Shows a top view of the connection of the joint to a supportingrod,

FIG. 7 Shows a view of the area indicated by arrow VII in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 8 Shows a top view of the area indicated by arrow VIII in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows—in an approximately half-view, which has a symmetricallymatching half on the right-hand side—a supporting structure of acupboard or shelf system according to the present invention.

A supporting rod section 2 of a supporting rod 3 is connectedhorizontally to joint 1. Extending vertically outward therefrom andextending horizontally into the plane of the drawing, two furtherprofiles 4, 5 are connected to joint 1, while an adjustable base 6 isconnected to the underside. Refer also to FIG. 8, in which outwardlyextending profile 4 is not shown.

Supporting rod 3 includes a plurality of supporting rod sections 2, 7connected by a hinge 8, which is explained in greater detail withreference to FIGS. 2 through 4.

Hinge 8 is provided with a tab 9 which is capable of pivoting around anaxis 10 which, in this case, coincides with the axis of symmetry ofsupporting rod 3.

By way of tabs 9, connected in particular with a plurality of hinges 8,a shutter 11 can therefore be pivoted around axis 10. Shutter 11 isscrewed together with tab 9, which includes two bore holes 12 for thispurpose.

Tab 9 is located in a plane which is displaced relative to a parallelplane through axis 10 by a distance equal to the thickness of thematerial of shutter 11. Refer to FIG. 3. To this end, tab 9 is connectedto a sleeve 14 via a segment 13, sleeve 14 being rotatably supported ona central body 15 into which sleeve 14 is inserted into a groove 16 incentral body 15 in an axially flush manner. Sleeve 14 therefore alsoencompasses central body 15 in a radially flush manner.

Central body 15 tapers in the axial direction at both ends in the shapeof a truncated cone and is composed of two subpieces 17, 18 which arescrewed together. A first subpiece 17 includes an axially extending,central inner thread 19 to accommodate the screw. A plug-like,externally threaded projection 20 of second subpiece 18 is screwed intoinner thread 19.

FIG. 1 also shows that the geometry of the outer jacket of central body15 with inserted sleeve 14 corresponds to that of supporting barsections 2, 7. As a result, hinge 8 located between supporting barsections 2, 7 and inserted into supporting rod 3 is barely noticeable.

The shape and size of central body 15 with inserted sleeve 14 alsosubstantially match that of joint 1.

Joint 1 is attached to profile 4 and supporting rod section 2 via dowelrods 23, 24, and hinge 8 is attached to supporting rod sections 2, 7 viadowel rods 21, 22. Supporting rod sections 2, 7 are formed by hollowprofiles.

Hinge 8 includes an axial, central threaded hole 25 to enable attachmentof dowel rods 21, 22. When screws 26, 27 are screwed into centralthreaded hole 25, two segments 28, 29; 30, 31—which are capable ofmoving toward each other—of dowel rods 21, 22 move toward each otherand, as a result of the adjacent, opposing wedge surfaces of particularsegments 28, 29; 30, 31, they become detachably wedged together in thehollow profile—which is configured accordingly—of supporting rodsections 2, 7.

Similar to hinge 8, joint 1 also tapers in the axial direction at bothends in the shape of a truncated cone, and profiles 4, 5 and supportingrod sections 2, 7 include corresponding recesses on the front.

Shaped parts 33 through 35, which form form-fit transitions, can also beprovided to connect supporting rod sections 2 or profiles 5 to thecylindrical section of joint 1, which also has a slid-on sleeve 32.

1. A supporting structure for a cupboard or shelf system with asupporting rod positioned between two joints, wherein the supporting rod(3) includes at least one pivotable tab (9) positioned parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the supporting rod (3).
 2. The supporting structureas recited in claim 1, wherein a hinge (8) with the tab (9) connects twosupporting rod sections (2, 7) of the supporting rod (3).
 3. Thesupporting structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the hinge (8) has anaxial, central threaded hole (25).
 4. The supporting structure asrecited in claim 1, wherein the hinge (8) has a central body (15) onwhich a pivotable sleeve (14) is mounted, to which the tab (9) isconnected.
 5. The supporting structure as recited in claim 1, whereinthe sleeve (14) is inserted axially flush into a groove (16) in thecentral body (15).
 6. The supporting structure as recited in claim 1,wherein the sleeve (14) is inserted radially flush into a groove (16) inthe central body (15).
 7. The supporting structure as recited in claim1, wherein the geometry of the outer jacket of the central body (15)with the inserted sleeve (14) corresponds to that of the supporting rodor the supporting rod sections (2, 7).
 8. The supporting structure asrecited in claim 1, wherein the tab (9) is displaced on the sleeve (14)relative to the axis (10) by a distance corresponding to the thicknessof a door or shutter (11).
 9. The supporting structure as recited inclaim 1, wherein, the central body (15) tapers at both ends in the axialdirection in the shape of a truncated cone.
 10. The supporting structureas recited in claim 1, wherein the central body (15) has a two-componentconfiguration, a first subpiece (17) including an axially extending,central inner thread (19), and a second subpiece (18) engaging with aplug-like, externally threaded projection (20) in the central innerthread (19) of the first subpiece (17).
 11. The supporting structure asrecited in claim 1, wherein the supporting rod sections (2, 7) areformed by hollow profiles, and the hinge (8) is connected therewith viatwo dowel rods (21, 22) inserted in the supporting rod sections (2, 7).12. The supporting structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the joint(1) is attached to a supporting rod section (2) via a dowel rod (23).13. The supporting structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the outerdimensions of the central body (15) and the sleeve (14) of the hinge (8)correspond to those of a joint (1).
 14. The supporting structure asrecited in claim 1, wherein, at both ends, the joint (1) tapers in theshape of a truncated cone in the axial direction, and a cylindricalsection has a slid-on sleeve (32).
 15. The supporting structure asrecited in claim 1, wherein a shaped part (35) that creates a form-fittransition is located between the joint (1) and the supporting rod (2).16. The supporting structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the dowelrod (21) includes two segments (28, 29), which are movable relative toeach other, have a rectangular cross-section, and have matchingwedge-shaped surfaces, the segments (28, 29) being clamped together viaa screw (26).